Mine door



T. P. TOPPING MINE'DooR Filed July '9, 1945 3' Sheets-Sheet 1 May 422.1945 T. P. TQPPING 2,376,638

MINE DOOR Filed July 9, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 75m Paf? Efo/az@ May 22,1945- P. TOPPING MINE DOOR s sheets-.shea s Filed July 9, i1943 mFE :miC C ww,

Patented May 22, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE Tom PatrTopping,Ragland, W. Va.

Application July 9, 1943, serial N0. 494,111

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in slidingmine doors, and has for its primary object to provide, in a'manner ashereinafter set forth, novel means controlled by an approaching train ofcars for automatically and with certainty opening the doors by gravity.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide anapparatus including unique means for automatically closing the doorsafter the cars have passed the latter.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a slidable mine dooroperating mechanism which will be comparatively simple in construction,strong, durable, highly efcient and reliable in operation, and which maybe manufactured and installed at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, .taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the sev# eral views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of an apparatus constructed inaccordance with the present invention, showing the mine track in crosssection.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view principally in elevation, looking at theopposite side of a portion of the invention.

Figure 3 is a View in horizontal section, taken substantially on theline 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a top plan view, showing the track mounted mechanism.

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section, taken substantially on the line5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially on the line 6-6of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a detail view in vertical section, taken substantially onthe line 1--1 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the apparatus which has been illustrated comprises -aframe structure which is designated generally by reference character I.The frame structure I includes upstanding end portions 2 which areerected on opposite-sides of a mine track, as at 3, said end portions 2being connected by a member 4 which bridges the track. Doors 5 areslidably mounted in the frame structure I and extend transversely acrossthe track 3 when in closed position.

Rotatably mounted on a base 6 at one end of the frame structure I is anelongated pulley or drum 1. Mounted on the lower portion of the framestructure I at the other end thereof is a pulley 8. An endless cable orbelt 9 is trained over the pulleys 1 and 8, said belt passing beneaththe rails I0 of the track 3. Depending arms I2 connect one of the doors5 to the upper flight of the belt 9 and the other of said doors to thelower ight of said belt. In the embodiment shown, the arms I2 travel inlongitudinal slots I3 which are provided therefor in the substantiallychannel-shaped bars I4 of the frame structure I, in which bars .thedoors 5 are slidable.

Pulleys I5 are mounted on the upper portion of the frame structure I atthe ends thereof. A cable I6 is trained over the pulleys I5 and has oneend secured Ito the elongated pulley or drum 1 for winding thereon.Suspended from the other end of the cable I6 is a weight I1.

The shaft I8 of `the elongated pulley 1 has fixed on one end portion aratchet wheel I9. Journaled on the base 6 is a rockable shaft 2U whichparallels the pulley 1. Fixed on one'eznd portion of the shaft 20 is apawl 2I which is engageable with the ratchet wheel I9 for releasablysecuring the pulley 1 against actuation by the weight I1. Fixed on theother end portion of the shaft 20 is a lever 22. Anotherl lever 23 isloosely mounted on the shaft 2li. A coil spring 24 (see Fig.` 2)yieldingly engages the pawl 2I with the ratchet wheel I9. l 1

Also mounted on the .base 6 is a suitable electric motor 25. A belt andpulley drive 26 operatively connects the electric motor 25 to theelongated pulley 1. A control switch 21 is provided for the electricmotor 25. A cable or the like 28 connects the switch 21 to the lever 23for closing thereby for energizing the electric motor 25.

A cable or the like 29 connects the switch 21 to the adjacent door 5 foropening thereby when said door reaches its closed position for automatically stopping the electric motor 25. A feed wire a extends to oneterminal of motor 25, and another feed wire b extends to a fixed contactc of switch 21, while a wire d connects the movable contact e z2);switch 21 with the other terminal of motor Longitudinally aligned,rockable shafts 30 and 3I are journaled on the ties 32 of the track 3adjacent to and parallel with one of the rails I0 of said track. Theshafts 30 and 3l are installed on opposite sides of the doors 5. Wheeldepressed trip rails 33 and 34 are slidably mounted on the inner sidesof one `of the rails I0. In the embodiment shown, and as illustrated toadvantage in Figure 6 of the drawings, the trip rails 33 and 34 arefixed on the upper ends of vertical rods 35 which are slidable in guides36 which are provided therefor on the inner side of the adjacent railI9. The rods 35 are connected, at their lower ends, by pin and slotconnections 31 to arms 38 which are fixed on the rockable shafts 3l) and3|.

Depending from the adjacent or inner end por tions of the rockableshafts 30 and 3| are arms 39. A rod 40 connects the arm 39 on the shaft30 to the lever 22 for actuating the shaft 20. A rod 4| connects the arm39 which is on the shaft 3| to the lever 23 for closing the motorcontrol switch 21.

It is thought that the operation of the apparatus will be readilyapparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, with the doors5 in closed position across the track 3, the cable IB is wound on thepulley 1 and the weight I1 is in elevated position, as seen in Figure 1of the drawings. The wheels of a train of cars approaching the doorsengage and depress the trip rail 33 for rocking the shaft 30 in adirection to disengage the pawl 2| from the ratchet wheel I9. Thus, thepulley 1 is released and the cable I6 is unwound therefrom by the Weight|1. In this manner the endless belt 9 is actuated in a direction toslide the doors 5 apart to open position in the end portions 2 of theframe structure Soon after the last car of the train has passed thedoors, the trip rail 34 is depressed by the wheels of the iirst car ofthe train for rocking the shaft 3|. In this manner the switch 21 isclosed through the elements 4|, 23, 28, et cetera, for energizing theelectric motor 25. The motor 25 actuates the pulley 1 in the oppositedirection for closing the doors and for rewinding the cable I6 andelevating the weight I1. When the doors 5 approach their closedposition, the switch 21 is opened by the cable 29 for stopping theelectric motor 25,

It is believed thatl the many advantages of a mine door constructed inaccordance with the present invention will be readily understood, andalthough a preferred embodiment of the apparatus is as illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that changes in the details of conwithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A mine track door apparatus comprising a frame structure mountedtransversely across a mine car track, doors slidably mounted in theframe structure and adapted to extend across the track when in closedposition, pulleys journaled at opposite sides of the track, an endlesscable passing around said pulleys and connected to the bottoms of thedoors for actuating said doors toward and away from each otherrespectively to closed or open positions, a weighted cable connected toone of the pulleys for operating the endless cable for moving the doorsto one of said positions, releasable means to normally prevent operationof said pulley by said Weighted cable, wheel-operated means on the trackat one side of the doors for releasing said releasable means, anelectric motor operatively connected to said pulley for operating theendless cable for moving the doors to the other of said positions, aswitch for controlling the motor, wheel-operated means at the other sideolj the doors for closing the switch, and means connecting the switch tolone of the doors for opening said switch when said door reaches saidother position.

2. A mine track door apparatus comprising a frame structure mountedtransversely across a mine car track, doors slidably mounted in theframe structure and adapted to extend across the track when in closedposition, pulleys journaled at opposite sides of the track, an endlesscable passing around said pulleys and connected to the bottoms of thedoors for actuating said doors toward and away from each otherrespectively to closed or open positions, a weighted cable connected toone of the pulleys, for operating the endless cable for opening thedoors, releasable means to normally prevent operation of said pulley bysaid weighted cable, wheel-operated means on the track at one side ofthe doors for releasing said releasable means, an electric motoroperatively connected to said pulley for operating the endless belt forclosing the doors, a switch for controlling the motor, wheel-operatedmeans at the other side of the doors for closing the switch, and meansconnecting the switch to one of the doors for opening said switch whensaid door reaches a closed position.

TOM PAT TOPPING.

